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At Rome, the Station is in the basilica of St. Peter. The importance of this Sunday, which never yields to any feast no matter what its solemnity may be, requires that the place for the assembly of the faithful should be in one of the chief sanctuaries of the holy city.

Interior of the Basilica of St. Peter

Day XXXIII. Sunday, Week V

"Strengthen in faith and love your pilgrim Church on earth; your servant (and my bishop) Pope John Paul II, and all the bishops, with the clergy, and the entire people your son has gained for you" (Eucharistic Prayer III).

San Pietro in Vaticano. Today used to be called Passion Sunday. As we continue our journey to the Easter mysteries it is good to reflect upon the cross, the instrument of our salvation. As a seminarian recently told me, the cross was light just enough for a man to carry and just strong enough to carry a man. Indeed it carried the Savior of the world! As one approaches Saint Peter's, in the midst of Bernini's colonnade, stands the pyramid which once stood watch in the median of Nero's circus (near the present day sacristy) over the crucifixion of Saint Peter. It is crowned with a relic of the true cross and now casts its shadow over us. On the base we read, "Ecce crux Domini fugit partes adversae. Vicit Leo de tribu Iuda." ("Behold the cross of the Lord from which the
adversarial parties flee. The Lion of the tribe of Judea is victorious!")

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Day XXXIII. Sunday, Week V

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As we leave Saint Peter's, we read, "Christus vincit. Christus regnat. Christus imperat. Christus ab omni malo plebem suam defendat." ("Christ is victorious. Christ reigns. Christ commands. Christ defends his people from all evil.") Today's pictures are of the first vicar of Christ and his successor.